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It has remained a secret for thousands of years, but now a huge pink tomb of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh has identified approximately one year after it was discovered.

The vast 3,800-year-old quartzite sarcophagus belongs to a little-known 13th Dynasty king called Sobekhotep I, according to the Egyptian government.
It was discovered by a team of U.S. and Egyptian archaeologists at the Abydos site near Sohag in Egypt and could shed light on a little known period of history.

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The vast 3,800-year-old quartzite sarcophagus belongs to a little-known 13th dynasty king, Sobekhotep I, according to the Egyptian government. It was discovered by an international team of researchers who deciphered inscriptions to link it to its owner

WHO WAS SOBEKHOTEP I?

Sekhemre Khutawy Sobekhotep (now believed to be Sobekhotep I) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 13th Dynasty during the Second Intermediate Period who reigned for at least 3 years.

His chronological position is much debated as he could either have been the founder of the dynasty, or its 20th ruler, in which case he is called Sobekhotep II.

His tomb was discovered in Abydos in 2013 but has only just been identified.

The king is mentioned in the Kahun papyrus IV - a type of census - a fragment on a chapel and door knocker from Medmud, as well as some small artefacts.

Based on his name, it is thought that Sobekhotep was a son of the penultimate pharaoh of the 12th Dynasty, king Amenemhat IV.

Along with the vast sarcophagus, archaeologists found parts of canopic jars, funerary objects and some gold objects belonging to the king, at the site of his burial.

It is thought that his tomb was topped with a pyramid, although none of the structure has been found.

Egypt’s State Minister of Antiquities, Mohamed Ibrahim confirmed the identification of the sarcophagus, which weighs almost 60 tonnes.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry deciphered stone pieces inscribed with the pharaoh’s name, which also show him sitting on a throne, to link the tomb to its owner.

‘He is likely the first who ruled Egypt at the start of the 13th Dynasty during the second intermediate period,’ the minister said.

King Sobekhotep I is thought to have ruled the 13th Dynasty but little is known about him and his kingdom or even when the dynasty began exactly, which makes the discovery particularly important.

Historians believe that it began sometime between 1803BC and 1781BC but they are keen to establish a precise date.

He is thought to have ruled for almost five years, which was ‘the longest rule at this time’ according to ministry official Ayman El-Damarani.

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The sarcophagus was discovered by a team of U.S. and Egyptian archaeologists at the Abydos site (pictured) near Sohag in Egypt and could shed light on a little known period of history

The sacred city of Abydos is located west of the Nile and was once a cemetery for Egyptian royalty as well as a popular pilgrimage site where people journeyed to worship the god Osiris, according to The Huffington Post.

Temples, royal boat pits and the tombs of kings have previously been unearthed by University of Pennsylvania archaeologists who have been excavating the site over three decades.

The team has already found fragments of canopic vases in the tomb, which were used to preserve internal body organs, TimesLive reported.

Gold objects thought to be owned by the king were also discovered and it is hoped that the site will reveal more details about the king’s life.

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Temples, royal boat pits and the tombs of kings have previously been unearthed by University of Pennsylvania archaeologists who have been excavating the Abydos site over three decades. The impressive temple of Seti I is pictured

Some experts at The History Blog believe the tomb holding the sarcophagus was made from limestone, transported from the Tura quarries near Cairo, some 300 miles away and was topped by a pyramid, which has not been found.

A small number of other 13th Dynasty kings have been uncovered in the royal cemetery of Dashur and Saqqara, which are both closer to Egypt’s capital.

They too were thought to be topped by pyramids, based on fragments discovered.